The present invention concerns an automatic liquid soap supply device for use in automatic supply of liquid soap to a plurality of water supply taps.
In a washing stand, for example, of a public lavatory, there are disposed a plurality of water discharging taps for supplying hand washing warmed water, as well as supply taps corresponding to the number of the water discharging taps for supplying liquid soap.
By the way, as a structure for supplying the liquid soap to each of the supply taps, an individual supply structure or a gravitational supply structure has been used generally. In the individual supply structure, reservoirs for storing liquid soap are disposed corresponding respectively to the supply taps and liquid soap is supplied from each of the reservoirs to each of the supply taps. However, in the individual supply structure, since the liquid soap has to be supplemented to each of the reservoirs, administration is complicated. In view of the above, in the gravitational structure, a single reservoir for storing a liquid soap is disposed above each of the supply taps, so that the liquid soap is distributed by weight of the soap in the reservoir to each of the supply taps. However, it is extremely difficult for a worker to supplement the liquid soap in each reservoir of this structure.
Then, a pressurized type automatic liquid soap supply device as shown in FIG. 7 has been proposed in view of the difficulty in the gravitational structure. The device comprises a single main reservoir 100 and a plurality of auxiliary reservoirs 104, 105 and 106 connected to the main reservoir 100 and corresponding to each of the supply taps 101, 102 and 103, in which each of the auxiliary reservoirs 104, 105 and 106 is connected by way of each of solenoid pumps 107, 108 and 109 to each of the supply taps 101, 102 and 103. Further, touch switches 110, 111 and 112 are disposed in the vicinity of the supply taps 101, 102 and 103 respectively and each of the touch switches 110, 111 and 112 is connected to each of the control circuits 113, 114 and 115, and each of the control circuits 113, 114 and 115 is connected with each of the solenoid pumps 107, 108, 109.
Each of the control circuits 113, 114 and 115 and each of the solenoid pumps 107, 108 and 109 are separately driven by a power source individually and when one (or plurality of them) is supplied with electric power, each of the solenoid pumps 107 (108, 109) is driven by each of the control circuits 113 (114, 115) upon contact of a user on the touch switch 110 (111, 112), so that the liquid soap in each of the auxiliary reservoirs 104 (105, 106) is supplied by each of the solenoid pumps 107 (108, 109) from each of the supply taps 101 (102, 103).
According to this device, since each of the auxiliary reservoirs 104, 105 and 106 is always connected with the main reservoir 100, it may suffice to supplement the liquid soap only to the inside of the main reservoir 100 and since there is no requirement to dispose the main reservoir 100 at a high place, the operation for supplementing the liquid soap is facilitated.
However, the existent automatic liquid soap supply device as described above involves the following various problems. That is, in this device, since each of the control circuits 113, 114 and 115 and each of the solenoid pumps 107, 108 and 109 disposed corresponding to each of the supply taps 101, 102 and 103 are separately driven by a power source individually, connection plugs 116, 117 and 118 have to be disposed by the number corresponding to that of the supply taps 101, 102 and 103 in a public lavatory. Accordingly, this makes electric work troublesome and makes it difficult to shorten the necessary time upon installation. In addition, warmed water from a discharge tap (not illustrated) used by a user often splashes from a washing stand 119, 120 or 121 and a great amount of water is used for cleaning. Accordingly, there may be a risk of electric leakage in the device of this structure. Further, in a cold district or highly humid district or season, the device of the above-mentioned structure also causes a great risk of electric leakage in the lavatory. Accordingly, in the device having the above-mentioned structure, leakage proof countermeasure has to be taken corresponding to each of the supply taps 101, 102 and 103. Moreover, in the existent device as described above, although the supplement for the liquid soap is simplified, since supply and stop of the power source to each of the control circuits 113, 114 and 115 and each of the solenoid pumps 107, 108 and 109 can be conducted only when the connection is made or released between each of the plugs 116, 117 and 118 and each of individual power sources, the operation efficiency, for example, upon cleaning is worsened.